Do
we all dance to the beat of a Different Drummer Who happens to be
the same?

The Way Up
NewsletterVol 4
8/15/99

NAMASTE & WELCOME TO THE WAY
UP MONTHLY NEWSLETTER!

Already the year is flying by!
I hope you are all off to the creation of new dreams & REALITIES.

Last month I had the stimulation & pleasure
of attending the 6th International Congress on Anti-Aging & Bio-Medical
Technologies sponsored by the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine.

It was fascinating to better understand the
process of cloning & to hear from a brilliant man who intends to be the
first to clone himself. He has set up a research center to study cloning
as an alternative for infertile couples. Provocative stuff but let's get
on to what you can use & some of what I found most interesting.

Will give enough scientific detail to make it
understandable, but I hope not tedious & boring. (Let me know on our feedback
bar how heavy or lightweight you want the news to be)

So without further ado:

WHAT'S NEW WITH PROSTATE CANCER?

In l998 84,500 new cases were diagnosed in the
U.S. The current consensus is that men over 40 years old should have a
yearly blood test for total PSA (prostate specific antigen). A level of
0-4 is normal; 4-10 is ambiguous (may or may not suggest cancer as can
be elevated by infection, inflammation, & benign prostatic hypertrophy):
over 10 may often suggest cancer.

Those with a PSA over 4 should then have a Free
PSA blood test. This helps differentiate who needs a prostate biopsy.
Those with Free PSA levels greater than 25% need a biopsy & have a higher
risk of cancer. This test helps avoid unneeded biopsies.

WHAT DO PROSTATE & BREAST CANCER
HAVE IN COMMON?

Recent studies suggest that specific by products
of the estrogens, estradiol & estrone may be responsible for both breast
& prostate cancers. These culprits are called 4-catechol estrogens & estrogen
3,4-quinone.

Yes, men have estrogen too. An unwanted chemical
called aromatase helps to convert testosterone to estradiol. Aromatase
increases with aging, alcohol, obesity, & deficiencies of vitamin C, zinc
& phytochemicals (soy, high-lignan flaxseed oil, black cohosh, Dong quai,
licorice root, & panax ginseng) & excess testosterone replacement. You
may have noticed men with increased breast size if they are obese or drink
too much alcohol. This is related to the increased estrogen production.

Now this is not to freak you out about estrogen
or hormone replacement in menopause. There is a practical useful side to
this information.

Remember it is not the estrogen but the unwanted
breakdown products that can be made from certain forms of estrogen that
cause the problem. If enough vitamin B12 & folic acid are present the 4-catechol
estrogens will be methylated & safely excreted. Otherwise pollutants (
& here is one place where the pollution connection comes in) converts the
4-catechol estrogens to estrogen 3,4 quinone (the other bad one). This
then can lead to DNA binding, mutations, & cancer.

There is more you can do because the amino acid,
cysteine, antioxidants, vitamin E, selenium, zinc, garlic, Vitamin B12,
folic acid & the previously mentioned phytochemicals help to either stop
the formation of these dangerous metabolites or interfere with their negative
impact on DNA.

Natural Progesterone is another help. Many
of the steps leading to estrogen- mediated cancer initiation, promotion
& progression are impeded by natural progesterone. Because progesterone
plays a role in preventing estrogen from converting to 4-catechol estrogens,
it plays a role in protecting against both breast & prostate cancer. Progesterone
has anti-estrogen actions, increases the elimination of estrogen from the
body & down regulates estrogen receptors.

In studies comparing the application to the
breasts of progesterone cream vs placebo or estrogen cream. The cells in
the progesterone treated breasts had less cell division activity ( hence
less stimulation & possible cancer risk). The dose was 1/4 tsp of progesterone
cream equivalent to 30mg-the same dosage as in most
of the progesterone creams in health food stores. The estrogen cream used
in the studies increased the rate of cell proliferation in the breast.
Also, applying progesterone cream helps to improve fibrocystic breasts.
The synthetic progesterone such as provera which is given to most women
& is in birth control pills does not have these beneficial actions.

There is more good news. The potentially problematic
estrogens are the estrone & estradiol, also known as E1 & E2. There is
an E3 called Estriol. It does not convert to the 4-catechol estrogens associated
with increased cancer risk. Estriol is the primary form of estrogen used
by Drs who practice alter- natively & is available from compounding pharmacies.
It is usually combined with lesser amounts of estradiol or both estradiol
& estrone & is known as Biestrogen or Triestrogen. Women who inherently
have higher levels of estriol have a lower risk of breast cancer. Some
compounding pharmacies are listed in out links.

You'll be able to learn more details if you've
survived this & are game for more by reading the soon to be released book
by David Zava PhD on the origins of breast & prostate cancer, the exact
title which is not yet available. He is the cancer researcher who presented
this information at the meeting.

So there are many things we can do to protect
ourselves from these relatively common cancers as we go through life & if
you've gotten this far through this newsletter you are likely proactive
in gaining & securing good health.

You can read more about any of the items mentioned
by going to http://www.thewayup.com Though I could go on & on, you've
probably had enough for now. Please give feedback on what you want to hear
about.

Feel free to forward to anyone you think would
be interested & may you be blessed.

Allowing always the newness, releasing
Moving, spiraling to new heights of
Universal Participation